PHP verses ASP 1

[techhead100k]

I'm not sure weather to start learning PHP or ASP. I first thought that I wanted Cold Fusion, but learn PHP is somewhat more powerful although maybe not as easy. Now I have leanr about ASP and am wondering if ASP would not be better for me, but I have no reason to think so.

Any input about the differences of PHP and ASP would be greatly appreciate!

Thank you

 

[RobHudson]

The main advantage of php over asp is that is it's usually substantially cheaper to host php sites compared to asp - and that it's not Microsoft!

 

[4x4uk]

I can't provide any proof but I'm sure that php is faster than asp and I don't think it's that difficult to lear either

Infinity exists! - I just haven't worked out a way to get there yet.

http://www.ne4x4.org.uk/

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http://www.ne4x4.org.uk/Ian/

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http://www.ne4x4.fsnet.co.uk/beck/

 

[jimoblak]

Being free and PHP's vast functionality are two good reasons.

If you are just looking at numbers of those using ASP vs. PHP, PHP may be more popular. According to netcraft.com, apache servers are twice as popular as Microsoft. According to securityspace.com, half of all apache servers run PHP. This means that there are at least as many PHP-enabled servers as there are Microsoft servers, whether they run ASP or not. There are plenty of other statistics to pour over but PHP is essentially more popular than ASP.

You basically have to decide if you are learning purely for commercial benefit. A big company with big salaries will most likely use big priced software (Microsoft ASP).

- - picklefish - -

 

[xutopia]

techhead100k,

At work we use ASP because the decision was made way back when that we should use ASP (before I was there).

The server is IIS 4 and we need features in IIS5 for our project. Upgrading is out of the question. At home I´m under linux and I run Apache with PHP. When a new version of PHP comes out I just download and install it. If I want a new version of Apache I just upgrade whenever I feel like it. At work the boss is not happy with us even mentionning we want an upgrade and we will be stuck with IIS4 for the rest of our project and possibly for the rest of the life of the business.

Another advantage of using Apache and PHP is that you can download a complete working enviroment on your machine. EasyPHP, PHPTriad installs PHP, Apache, MySQL as well as PHPMyAdmin and other tools. These things are all free so even if you want to install it on your computer and every other computer you own it´s totally legal and encouraged. If you want IIS to run on all computers you´d own you would need to pay a licence for each of them (with XP it means buying professional instead of Home, kashing for M$).

I can tell you that hands down PHP is much faster

http://php.weblogs.com/php_asp_7_reasons

And I can also tell you that coding in it is much more pleasant than VBScript (which has got to be the ugliest language ever).

Also PHP runs on IIS, Apache, Zeus and a multitude of other servers. ASP only runs on IIS or other MS servers. It can run on Apache and other servers if you pay for software that would allow you to.

So yeah to conclude, PHP is faster and cheaper, won tie you in to M$ products that will eventually cost you an arm and a leg.

Gary

http://www.xutopia.com

Haran
==========================

 

[xutopia]

thread333-536386 interesting thread in the ASP forum!

Gary

http://www.xutopia.com

Haran
==========================

 

[BB101]

I found PHP by far easier to pick up, ASP is too much like VB, it is slower because everything you do causes an object to be created and there are large overheads in doing so. PHP is more modular and usually anything you want is already loaded.

PHP is free, and can be hosted on pretty much any platform, you'll get far better support for PHP too (in my experience).

Good luck!

--BB

 

[supermegapollo]

I've some expertise in CFM, ASP, PHP and now learning JSP...
The best of them, in my experience, is PHP.

 

[techhead100k]

Thanks to all of you! I had already invested in PHP books and wasn't sure if I was going in the right direction. Now I can comfortably move forward.

 

[schase]

If I may interject a comment for clarification

PHP is free

so isn't ASP

I've developed in ASP for about a year and a half now and can honestly say I have not paid a cent to do so. There are no proprietary programs involved in developing ASP, there is also no program to download to run asp as there is with PHP. Heck you can develop in notepad if you wish.

However, web hosting costs are higher. You do need a IIS (Microsoft) Server to run ASP, and Windows hosting is typically more expensive than a Unix/Linux one. So yeah in the long run ASP is more expensive, it may be some slower than php to run also - but really this comes down to the coder in most instances. For example using getrows in asp versus a do...loop.

And no this is far from a PHP bash, quite the opposite - its a clarification on the "Free" side of things. I actually am learning PHP as we speak. The reason for my going from ASP to PHP is multi-leveled.

1) increases my knowledge and abilities
2) i can change permissions with a unix/linux server from ftp rather than needing a system operator to do it for me (this is a biggie if you get into file object type stuff).
3) hosting is in fact - cheaper
4) my apps can then run on both windows and unix/linux systems.

"Never underestimate the power of determination"

Stuart

 

[sleipnir214]

schase:
You have an interesting definition of "proprietary", particularly when you use it to describe an open-source, platform agnostic language like PHP, but not a closed-source, platform-specific language like VBScript.

And Notepad works just as well editing PHP code as it does editing VBScript code. Not that that's saying much.

Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!

 

[schase]

what definition?

I spoke in light of the web developer.
if you get a windows host - it costs you nothing to develop in asp.

if you ARE a web host - thats a different matter - and out of the context of this thread.



"Never underestimate the power of determination"

Stuart

 

[skiflyer]

A developer who doesn't ever want to run a local webserver to test their code you mean.

That's like me saying developing in ASP is free because work paid for the IIS server.

-Rob

 

[schase]

That is only partially correct.

If you have a windows system at home you have access to IIS on windows 2000 (it is included), or PWS on earlier systems or also download free web server software to test your apps.

If you have a Linux flavor at home, than absolutely it will cost you to test your apps at home.

What I am stressing is to signify PHP's true strong points in terms of your average web developer. Telling an average web developer that PHP is free and ASP is not is being very misleading. If you go on to state that if you want to run a home network or maybe run websites out of your home, or if your a small business who wants to take on your own webhosting and such - than from a total package standpoint, Linux/mySQL/APACHE/PHP is a great way to go.

"Never underestimate the power of determination"

Stuart

 

[onpnt]

schase
I think everyone (most) know I'm mainly a ASP developer as that is my main activity at Tek-Tips in the ASP Forum and although I have mixed feelings about which is better <strong>which I never really like to get into the &quot;mine is bigger war&quot;</strong> because I use what suites my needs and there is no this is better to me, I am going to completely <cringe>disagree with your comments on ASP</cringe>.

ASP is not free!
this comment
I've developed in ASP for about a year and a half now and can honestly say I have not paid a cent to do so.

is completely far fetched. you have paid for it. you paid for windows which comes with IIS (pro edition) and in turn paid to run ASP. I don't think we're talking about just being able to code in something like notepad here. we're talking about overhead in cost. The over head in cost to develop in PHP is null compared to ASP when you stand back and look at the big picture. I have yet to see a <quote>Free</quote> m$ product available from installation to run-time. PHP can be done with a little to no cost installation to run-time.

my opinion to techhead100k
Learn PHP and ASP. These two platforms/languages are probably the most widly used in development rate now and to know them both is the absolute power. you can't get ahead in anything restricting to I'll learn this and thats good enough. Just take one and learn it and then move on. I can honestly say the first will make the second much easier also in your developmental stages of learning.


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[schase]

proverbial beating a dead horse. And yes I recall your name onpnt - you've helped me once or twice and I have much respect for your opinion as I do others.

An intersting fact is probably many who exclaim how php is free and asp is not are using windows software as their OS. I said many - not all. I really havnt tried to install PWS lately (its been a very long time) but that was free to get as well. Web hosts are far beyond the days where getting a Unix host was $10.00/month cheaper than a windows host. Now it depends on where you go for a host - although unix are generally cheaper.

My Main point really had nothing to do with PHP - as I said I am just learning it. I wouldnt learn it if I didn't like it. The main point was to be honest about it all. And I may be sterotyping here. But heres what popped into my head after I learned what ASP was about a year and half or so ago.

-you've got people (who are on a windows machine) who love PHP - and rightly so for its values, typing a response on a forum saying that asp is not free but php is. The whole time they had the capability to develop in asp.

And incase some may think - I do not love any MS product - well ok I do really like flight simulator. I'd love nothing more than to dump MS OS in the trash and run Linux.
Unfortunately Linux isnt main stream enough to be compatible with other Window Machines - at least not on a really full stream base.

I really feel PHP should be stressed in its true strong points - the flexible language.... etc. (hey i'm only up to chapter 6).... endith my sermon.

&quot;Never underestimate the power of determination&quot;

Stuart

 

[onpnt]

proverbial beating a dead horse
what a using to hit him


-you've got people (who are on a windows machine) who love PHP - and rightly so for its values, typing a response on a forum saying that asp is not free but php is. The whole time they had the capability to develop in asp.


that is a great point and well taken.

BTW: thank you for the kind comments. very appreciated


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for the best results to your questions: FAQ333-2924
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[sleipnir214]

schase:
Let's stipulate that VBScript and IIS are free.

Win32 + IIS + VBScript => no cost beyond OS
Win32 + IIS + PHP => no cost beyond OS
Win32 + Apache + PHP => no cost beyond OS.

I see a three-way tie in cost. But somehow VBScript wins?


Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!

 

[schase]

Where are you getting that?

I never said vbscript was the winner or as a language better than php.

far from it infact.



&quot;Never underestimate the power of determination&quot;

Stuart

 

[jimoblak]

Hey - I like beating dead horses...

When I commented on big priced software (Microsoft ASP), I meant everything involved in running ASP on a professional server, from the IDE to the server software (with incessant updates) needed to dish out ASP. Yes, there are free IDE's for ASP and, yes, you can run PWS/IIS from your desktop for free.

I see PHP as being 'more free' because as a developer, you are not tied down to a particular platform. You have the freedom to move around and find the best deal. Microsoft hosting is in the minority and is often more expensive as the hosting provider will need to spend more time and money on securing it.

- - picklefish - -